Suzanne Collins’s trilogy “The Hunger Games”

I love a good movie, even better, a book you can’t put down. I tend to like adventure movies and war movies – man-movies. I loved the Chronicles of Narnia, and I tolerated The Lord of the Rings for Tolkien’s allegory of spiritual truths.

But I draw the line at books and movies that glorify evil for the sake appealing to our baser instincts. There is a beautiful side of evil that entices and allures us as if by some mystical spell. Movies and books that exalt sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, and witchcraft are off my pursuit list. They are clearly Satan’s territory and I believe Christians should not walk into the enemy’s territory deliberately. It is hard enough to be pure from the evil within let alone feeding our fallen natures with such stuff.

But not all movies and books have such clear-cut lines of demarcation. The recent blockbuster movie Hunger Games, based on the trilogy of novels by Suzanne Collins is such an example. I understand the books are well written and cleverly crafted to suck you in to the story and produce an addiction so strong you can’t wait to get into the next book. It has the same strong allure as the Harry Potter Series, but without the witchcraft factor.

However well written we must remember that these books are written by a children’s writer and are listed as children’s books. They are well written and that is commendable. But what lies stealthfully hidden beneath the façade of an adventure tale is the hidden message of murder and gratuitous violence. The scenes of carnage in the book are even more visceral than in the movie, which itself is quite realistic and visual, and leaves the scenes embedded in ones memory and psyche for some time.

I have not read the books, nor have I seen the movie. I might have except for heartbroken cry from an older teen who is a recent believer who did read the books, all three, and felt unclean and violated afterward. She wrote to me asking me as her pastor why believers and even pastors have gone wild over Hunger Games. The following is her description of her experience with the books.

I have her permission to share this with you.

Pastor Dick...I've been wondering about your thoughts on something.

I'm sure that, being on Facebook, you've heard mention of The Hunger Games, a new movie coming out tonight actually, based on a popular book series.

I *have* read these books. I'd read the first and second before I sifted through my books a few years ago, and at the time that I went through my books (to clear out and burn the trash of vampires stuff), my copy of the first was lent out to a friend, and so I didn't include it in the pile that day, and since that one wasn't included, I didn't include the second either.

After that point, the third book came out, and I proceeded to read it...I wish I hadn't. The moment I finished it, I had to take it out of my room; I didn't want to be anywhere near it. It was so disturbing on so, so many levels, and just thinking about it now makes me sick to my stomach.

I'll admit, I was enamored by the first 2 in the series...and the way they're written sucks you in and leaves each book on a cliffhanger so that you can't read just the first, you have to read all 3...and getting to the end of book 3 is like a slap in the face, and you're just hit with "What on earth have I been reading?" Or at least, that's how it was with me. Book 3 opened my eyes to how entertained I'd been about *children* murdering each other as sport, and I was disgusted, ashamed even, to realize how very "into it" I had gotten.

Immediately, my views on the books changed, and I began discouraging everyone I could *not* to read them: there are images in my mind from these books that I wish were not there, and that I don't wish upon anyone else.

Pastor Dick, I'm finding myself so, so discouraged at seeing how this series is spreading like wildfire through the church. And so far, I'm the only person I know who's read the books, and feels the way I do. I do know 2 people who read book 3 and felt the way I did, but with all of the movie hype, they just don't care anymore, and that frustrates me so greatly!

A lot of people say that the series has a good political message...but in my opinion, that is not justification for many of the scenes in these books, and for the "love" of them, and the excitement over them. My soul is grieved each time I see someone else hop in line to read The Hunger Games...and even more when I see the excitement to see them come to life on the movie screen.

I feel like for whatever reason, God has given me some level of discernment when it comes to books and movies...but this is the first time I've found myself standing alone, especially in the church, in my thoughts on a book. It's just very discouraging to me...and I suppose I was just wondering what you think of all of the hype.

What you think of the series, even if you haven't read them, if you think I'm being dramatic or crazy in my fervent discouraging of the books... I'm seeing raves about the series from people I'd have *never* expected to support them, and it makes me wonder if I'm just being silly...but something tells me I'm not. I can just feel that my spirit is *so* unsettled by all of this. I just can't believe that I'm the only one who sees these books this way...

It gives you some pause and some food for thought. We will continue with this theme for a few more posts... Stay tuned...

Oaks of Righteousness

It's spring and I've been thinking about planting, which led me to think about things in Scripture related to planting. Usually my brain clicks off several Scriptures from memory related to planting, but you might want to do a word search of the word "plant" or "planting" and see what you find.

Here are a few of my own:

Psalm 92:12-15

12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 13 planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, 15 proclaiming, "The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him." -

Psalm 1:3

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Isaiah 61:2-3

…to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

* * * * * * *

Jesus came to do Isaiah 61:1-3 in our lives. He said so in his introductory sermon in Luke 4:18-19. Here is what he came to exchange in us:

Crown of Beauty - instead of ashes

Oil of Gladness - instead of mourning

Garment of Praise - instead of spirit of despair

The result of exchanging our gloomy attitudes for the mind of Christ is that we will called …

Oaks of Righteousness,

the planting of the Lord

for the display of his splendor.

Yesterday I took my first spring bike ride by a nearby lake. I noted the trees were not yet in full bud so you could really see the structure of each. I couldn't help but notice some pretty ugly gnarly old trees. I took a picture of one because it reminded me of some old people who become misshapen by life's storms and just stand around displaying their hurts for all to see. Then I read about the Angel Oak tree in South Carolina. Now that's what I want to look like in old age. Read about it…

"The Angel Oak has come symbolize Charleston. It is a Southern live oak located in Angel Oak Park, on Johns Island near Charleston. The Angel Oak is estimated to be in excess of 1500 years old, stands 66.5 ft (20 m) tall, measures 28 ft (8.5 m) in circumference, and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet (1,600 m2). From tip to tip Its longest branch distance is 187 ft.

The Angel Oak Tree is thought to be one of the oldest living things in the country. The land where the Angel Oak Tree stands was part of Abraham Waight's 1717 land grant. The City of Charleston now owns the property. The Angel Oak Park is free and the tree should be added to any visit to Charleston, Kiawah or Seabrook Islands."

http://www.angeloaktree.com/

The Danger of Sitting in Ashes

Isaiah 61:3 -- “to comfort all who mourn…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes…”

Ashes are things of the past that didn’t work out. They are our ruined dreams. They are the things we once cherished that got burned up.

Ashes turn to lye when it gets wet. Lye is a powerful alkali that can be created using rain water and wood ashes. Lye created from wood ash is potassium hydroxide. Lye is very dangerous and extreme caution should be used when making or handling lye. Lye should never come in contact with aluminum as it will react with the metal. Lye can cause chemical burns if it comes in contact with your skin, and blindness if it gets in your eyes. In fact, when you get lye on your skin, it will begin reacting with the fatty acids on your skin and begin making soap. If you get lye on your skin you’d better get it off in a hurry. Use vinegar to neutralize the solution.

How often we are prone to sit in the ashes of our own misery and soak up self pity. Our tears turn our ashes into toxic lye that is corrosive to the beautiful crown God has bestowed to us in Christ. It is time to exchange those ashes for a crown of beauty. A flood of thanksgiving is the best way to wash away and neutralize the “lyes of Satan.” (pun intended). “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32) The truth of God’s word always sets us free. So let’s all soak in bountiful verbal thanksgiving for 10 minutes every day and we will find the ashes turning acid to medicine. “A merry heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22)

The Prayer of Jabez

I have a wonderful wood carved Scripture of the Prayer of Jabez on my desk staring at me. I used it for my devotions this morning and decided this is the prayer of my heart for this year of ministry transitions.

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm (evil) so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request. – 1 Chronicles 4:10 NIV

What am I asking and believing God to do this year?

Oh that you would…
1. Bless me indeed (abundant provisions)
2. Enlarge my territory (new ministry opp, books published)
3. Let your hand be with me (anointing and His presence)
4. Keep me from evil (evil thoughts and temptations)
5. so that I may be free from pain (health & strength)

This is what I am asking and believing God for.

Here are my supporting verses and promises of God for each.

1. Provision – Phil. 4:19, Ps 37:25, 1 Kings 17:4, 14-16
2. Enlarge – Joshua 1:8, Is 54:2-3, Ps 37:3-7,
3. Anointing – Rev 1:19, Ex 33:15, Luke 1:35
4. Evil – Matt 6:13, Ps 19:14, Ps 19:13, Ps 91:1-7
5. Health – Deut 31:6-8, Deut 33:25, Josh 1:5, Is 53:5, Lk 5:17

My task is to BELIEVE the Lord and His promises. Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. I will memorize these promises and claim them daily.

Bless with Provision

Matthew 6:31-34
31 So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Phil. 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Ps 37:25-26
25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. 26 They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.

1 Kings 17:4-5
4 You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there." 5 So he did what the LORD had told him.

1 Kings 17:14-16
14 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: `The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.'" 15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.

Enlarge my Territory

Joshua 1:7-8
7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.

Is 54:2-3,
2 "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. 3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;

Ps 37:3-7
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. 7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;


Anointing my life

Rev 1:17
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One;

Ex 33:14-17
14 The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." 15 Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" 17 And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."

Luke 1:35
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.


Deliverance From Evil

Matt 6:13
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (one).

Ps 19:12-14
12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Ps 91:1-7
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

Health & Strength

Deut 31:6-8
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

Deut 33:25
The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days.

Josh 1:5
No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Is 53:5-6
4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
I Pet 2:24-25
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Luke 5:17
One day as he was teaching… And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick.


1 Chronicles 4:10 NKJV

And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying,

Oh that you would bless me indeed,
and enlarge my territory,
and that your hand would be with me,

and that you would keep me from evil,

that it may not (cause grief) pain in me!

And God granted him that which he requested.

One Thing

It is hard to get confused when you are focused on just one thing. Confusion almost always comes when we are double-minded, that is, thinking of more than one thing as being important. Confusion only ensues when more than one thing competes to be the top priority.
The Bible has a lot to say about one thing that can be helpful and even inspirational. Do a word search of the New Testament on "one thing" and see what you get. Now go through each of those eliminating ones that are not relevant to our search and voila you have a wonderful topic to study and think about.

I have found several significant references to ONE THING.

First Jesus answers the Pharisees with ONE question. "I will ask you ONE THING, which if you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I do these things." -- He boiled down the issues to really only ONE THING, one issue - their unwillingness to believe no matter what.

Second, is Jesus' answer to the rich young ruler whom Jesus loved but who had all the credentials for earning salvation, if it could be earned. Jesus said, ONE THING you lack. Go and sell all that you have and give to the poor and your will have true treasure in heaven." -- He wasn't willing to do it because ONE THING was more important to him that God - his stuff, his wealth, his earthly treasures.

Third, Jesus is at Lazarus's house for dinner. Martha is frazzled with her to-do list in getting everything perfect for Jesus while Mary sat at Jesus' feet loving and learning from him. Mary blew a fuse and had a hissy fit but Jesus responded piteously to Martha (Luke 10:41), "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about MANY THINGS, but only ONE THING is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." --

Fourth, the man born blind in John 9 responds to his detractors who wanted to nullify or contradict his healing. He responded, "This ONE THING I know, once I was blind but now I see." -- Great answer!

Fifth, we hear the Apostle Paul setting eternal priorities in this life in Philippians 3:13-14. "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But ONE THING I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." -- Way to go Paul! Way to set the standard for all of us.

Sixth, we hear Peter reminding believers of the importance of keeping our hearts expectantly waiting the coming of the Lord in 2 Peter 3:8-9 "But do not forget this ONE THING, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." -- HEY GUYS, KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE!"

Finally, we turn back to the Old Testament and listen to David in Psalm 27:4, "ONE THING have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and inquire in his temple."

All of these Scriptures speak to us about PRIORITIES.

What ONE THING is Jesus speaking to you about today?

Mueller on trusting God, not men, in hard times

"There is scarcely a country, from whence I have not received donations; yet all come unsolicited, often anonymously, and in by far the greater number of cases from entire strangers, who are led by God, in answer to our prayers, to help on this work which was commenced, and is carried on, only in dependence on the Living God, in whose hands are the hearts of all men."

"Our Heavenly Father has the hearts of all men at His disposal, and we give ourselves to prayer to Him, and He, in answer to our prayers, lays the necessities of this work on the hearts of his stewards."

"We should not trust in the Reports, and expect that they would bring in something, but trust in the Living God, who has the hearts of all in His hands, and to whom all the gold and silver belongs."

"Remember also, that God delights to bestow blessing, but, generally, as the result of earnest, believing prayer."

A Sabbath Rest

"There remains therefore a rest to the people of God." – Hebrews 4:9

It is important. It is the way of the Master. It is God’s prescription for a deep abiding awareness of the presence of God. It cannot be substituted. There are no shortcuts, no bypasses, and no artificial substitutes. No seminars or classes can replace its eternal worth. There is nothing like it.

It is terrifying, frightening, and just plain hard to do. But it is worth it. God waits to be waited for, longed after, search for with all the heart, and found in the secret place of the Most High.

There is a process at work here. It cannot be hurried. Slowing down is the essential ingredient and the core virtue of the matter. It is not a retreat so you can get caught up with all the work you have let accumulate. It is not a place of refuge so you can write, prepare sermons, or arrange a plan for that coming year. It is not a vacation. This is a God-pause. This is a prolonged, timeless and extended day in which the sons of God present themselves before the Lord.

There must be a deliberate weaning of oneself from the morass of mental chaos and fidgety nervous energy that characterizes our day to day existence. It cannot be the exchange of one nervous habit for another. Yet, there must be order. Creation has order. The Creator is orderly.

The way one organizes himself for this kind of pursuit of God will be a reflection of his personal paces, rhythms, and idiosyncrasies. Your retreat to God is not the same as mine. It cannot be. You are unique. Your needs are unique. The imprint of God’s heart upon your heart will be as different as fingerprints or snowflakes. God wants this to be very personal.

Sometimes to get started in the right direction one needs to follow well worn paths, or at least the footprints of one who has gone before. Once you are well on your way you may and will choose different side paths and circuitous routes to arrive at the same destination – God’s heart. He will lead you. He is the Good Shepherd. His sheep hear His voice and follow Him. He leads, you follow.

My role as a prayer coach, or you might call me a spiritual director, is to get you started, to lead you up the mountain and drop you off in solitude of His Presence. Where you go from there will be the Master’s leading, not mine. In the end you must climb alone. You must yearn after the Shepherd. He hides himself so that you will chase Him. He wants to be found, but the pursuit is part of the reward. It is not the arrival that you seek, but the joy of the pursuit of God. He waits to be found. Look for Him.

Your footprints will not fit mine exactly unless you are five feet nine and a half inches tall, and weigh about 190 pounds, and have a gait of three two inches per step. I walk fast, but not as fast as others, too slow for some and too fast for others. My pace is not your pace. Follow me to get started then settle into your own pace.